Athletes from Canada’s diving team will attempt to qualify for the country ahead of the Paris Olympics at the World Aquatics Worlds, which begins Friday night (Canadian time) in Japan. Expectations have been high since the World Cup in Montreal last May. Radio-Canada Sports discussed it with Roseline Filion, a former diver-turned-analyst.

Roseline, this is the first opportunity for Canadian athletes to secure spots for the country at the Paris Olympics. What can we expect?

A. We can expect great performances at the World Cup. For each individual event, the top 12 athletes secure quota places for their country. In synchronized events, only the top three couples per event will secure quota spots.

In the women’s 3m springboard, I’d be surprised if Pamela Ware and Mia Vallée didn’t finish in the top 12. I even expect to see one of them on the podium. Also in the women’s 10m platform I expect Caeli McKay to finish in the top 12. Nathan Zsombor-Murray also has a good chance in the men’s platform race. [Rylan Wiens, de la Saskatchewan, s’est retiré des mondiaux jeudi soir en raison d’une blessure au dos, NDLR].

The goal of every athlete at the World Championships is to settle the odds issue and then focus on performance at the Games.

For the Canadian team, the biggest challenge remains the men’s 3m springboard. For what?

A. This is the Canadian team’s biggest shortcoming. Only Bryden Hattie will attend this event. Ever since diver Philippe Gagné announced his retirement ahead of the Tokyo Games, it has been difficult to find new talent who can perform powerful, high-difficulty dives to 3m. The diving association sometimes tends to push the youngsters too quickly in major competitions. Cédric Fofana, for example, is a good jumper, but maybe we sent him to the Olympics (in Tokyo) too quickly and the pressure was huge for him.

At the World Championships in Montreal, Pamela Ware and Mia Vallée teamed up for the 3m synchronized sprint and won bronze. Could we see such a great performance at the World Cup?

A Absolutely! At the World Cup I was pleasantly surprised to see the two together as Mia lives in Miami where she is pursuing her studies and Pamela is in Montreal. When they decided to take part in the World Cup, they barely had five days of training together and the results were already very good. Their strength and diving style is similar and they seem to enjoy each other. The key to success in diving is fun and confidence.

Mia will experience her first Olympic qualification. Pamela is used to it as she is on her way to her third games. There is a mix of experience and novelty the fun. Both have shown that they are mentally very strong on the international stage.

Divers Kate Miller and Elaena Dick will compete in their first senior world championships. With Olympic qualification at stake, that’s quite a challenge for her, isn’t it?

A. When Jennifer Abel, Meghan Benfeito and Vincent Riendeau announced their retirements, it opened the door for other athletes. Then there was the pandemic. We are just before the Olympics with young athletes who don’t have much experience and competition in the body. But that is everyone’s reality. And many will experience the World Cup for the first time.

Kate Miller and Elaena Dick are well surrounded. The coaches there have been with the athletes for years, reassuring them and giving them the confidence to get through that first big experience on the world stage.

Who will be the toughest opponents at the World Cup?

A. In addition to the Chinese team, England will also be kept in mind. Britain’s Andrea Spendolini could cause a surprise in the 10-meter dash. She is extremely talented.

The Americans will also be tough opponents, most notably the duo of Kassidy Cook and Sarah Bacon in the 3m synchronized.

Can we expect surprises from the Canadian team at these Worlds?

A. If I were surprised it would be if the Canadian delegation managed to achieve quotas in the synchronized disciplines. The first option is very restrictive as only the top 3 in each of these events will secure odds.